no
Little Mohea
For theories as to the relation of this American song to the Brit-
ish stall ballad of 'The Indian Lass,' see BSM 143-4 — ^nd add to
the references there given Maine (MWS 86), New Jersey (JAFL
Lii 65-6, a noticeably free-spoken text), Virginia (FSV 41-3),
Kentucky (FSKH 22-3), Florida (FSF 356-8), the Ozarks (OFS
I 280-2, and Indiana (BSI 175-80). Mrs. Steely found it in the
Ebenezer community in Wake county. The name is spelled in vari-
ous ways. There is little doubt that as sung in America — where it
is very widely known — it looks back to the days of the whale fishery
and that the girl is a South Seas islander; the 'lass of Mohea' in
A and C, and still more the 'Isle of Mohay' in D and 'the Island
Mohee' in I, point pretty definitely to Maui in what used to be
called the Sandwich Islands. The various texts are so much alike
that only one of them (D) is printed here. There are twelve texts
in the Collection :
A 'The Little Mohee.' Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville,
Watauga county, from the singing of Miss Mae Smith.
OLDER BALLADS MOSTLY BRITISH 34I
B "The Lassie Mohee.' From Mamie Mansfield of the Fowler school
district, Durham county, 1922. Three stanzas only.
C 'The Little Mohee.' From Mrs. Sutton, who remarks that "it is a
very general favorite among the mountaineers."
D 'The Lass of Mohay.' From Mrs. Charles K. Tillctt of Wanchese,
Roanoke Island, March, 1923.
E 'One Morning in May.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd as collected
from Mary Price, a pupil in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county, in
1927.
F 'Indian Mohee.' Another text sent in by Mr. Boyd.
G 'The Little Mohea.' Contributed by W. Amos Abrams from Boone in
1935 or 1936.
H 'The Pretty Mohea.' From a manuscript book of songs belonging to
Miss Lura Wagoner of Vox, Alleghany county.
I 'The Little Mohee.' Contributed by Otis Kuykendall of Asheville in
1939-
J 'The Little Mawhee.' Contributed by Obadiah Johnson of Crossnore,
Avery county.
K 'Island Mohee.' Contributed by O. L. Coffey of Shull's xMills, Wa-
tauga county, in 1939.
L 'Little Mohee.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
D
1 As I went out walking for pleasure one day,
In the sweetly creation^ to while time away,
As I set amusing myself in the grass
Oh, who should I spy but a fair Indian lass.
2 She sat down beside me and taking my hand
Said, 'I think you're a stranger and in a strange land.
But if you'll follow me you're welcome to come
And dwell in the cottage which I call my own.'
3 The sun was fast sinking all in the salt sea
When together I wandered with my pretty Mohay.
Together we wandered, together we roamed,
Till we come to the cut^ in the cocoanut grove.
4 And this kind expression she made unto me :
'If you'll consent, sir. to ?tay here with me
And go no more roving all o'er the salt sea,
I'll teach you the language of the Isle of Mohay.'
5 *Oh, no, my kind lady, this never can be,
For I've a true love in my own countrie,
* Read "In sweet recreation."
• Miswritten (or misheard) for "cot."
342 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
And I'll not forsake her; for I know she loves me
And her heart is more true than the Lass of Mohay.*
6 Was early one morning, one morning in May,
My heart it does pain me words I did say.
'It's farewell, my darling, and farewell, my dear ;
Ship's sails are spreaded, and homeward I steer.'
7 The last time I saw her she stood on the sand
And as my boat passed her she waved me her hand.
Saying, 'When you landed with the girl that you love,
Think of pretty Mohay in the cocoanut grove.'
8 When I had landed on my own native shore
With friends and relatives gathered around me once more,
I looked all around me but none could I see
That was fit to compare with my Lass of Mohay.
9 So I'll turn my course backward far o'er the salt sea
And I'll spend all my day with my pretty Mohay .^
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lie
Little Mohea
'The Little Mohee.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded as MS score; no
date or place given.
Reminds one somewhat of 'On Top of Old Smoky.'
For melodic relationship cf. **FSF 357, No. 190; SHF 2; noteworthy in our
version is the shortening of values at the end of each phrase, as compared with
the two versions quoted.
Scale : Hexachordal. Tonal Center : c. Structure : aaba (2,2,2,2) = Reprisen-
bar.
D
'The Lass of Mohay.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke
Island; no date given.
Scale: Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: e. Structure: abb^a (4,4,4,4).
'Indian Mohee.' Sung by Mrs. L. F. Banks. Recorded ; no date or place given.
Fragment only, as the record breaks oflf with "myself in." The first two meas-
ures are identical with those of our version of 'Villikens and His Dinah,' 20A.
See notes to the latter.
Scale: Hexachordal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: abbi (4,4,3)? (Natu-
rally, this version being a fragment only, the above analysis is limited and in-
complete. )
•The Little Mohee.' Sung by Otis Kuykendall. Recorded at Asheville in 1939-
Measures 4-5 consist of the familiar phrase from 'On Top of Old Smoky.'
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aa^bai (2,2,2,2)
= Reprisenbar.
M
'Little Mohee.' Sung by anonymous female singer with guitar. Recorded ; no
date or place given. Similar to iioD. Again measures 13-18 are familiar from
'On Top of Old Smoky.'
For melodic relationship cf. **FSF 357, No. 190; MSNC 16-23; SHF 2.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aaiba2 (6,6,6,6) =
Reprisenbar. This is an unusual structure inasmuch as each phrase contains
six measures. The melody could have been noted in % or % , which would have
(beginning with the second full measure) made eight phrases of three measures
each.
N 'The Little Mohee.' Sung by Mrs. H. R. Buchanan. Recorded at Minneapolis,
Avery county, September 7, 1939. Similar to iioD.
For melodic relationship cf. **FSoA 72, measures 1-2 and their repetition;
BSO 285, the purely melodic outline (not rhythmical).
Scale : Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : e-flat. Structure : abaifai (2,2,2,2)
= aai (4,4).
'The Little Mohee.' Sung by anonymous male singer with guitar. Recorded
probably at Blowing Rock, Watauga county, in August 1936. As the song
progresses, it takes on an extraordinary freedom, almost rhapsodic in character.
Similar to iioD.
For melodic relationship cf. **SCSM 448.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: ababi (6 6 6 6) =
aai (12, 12). ' ' '